Broom-Stick Bunny (1956)
Directed by Chuck Jones
Story by Tedd Pierce
Animation by Richard Thompson, Ken Harris, Ben Washam, Abe Levitow
Music by Milt Franklyn
The character of Witch Hazel only co-starred as a Bugs Bunny adversary in three Golden Age cartoons: “Bewitched Bunny” (1954), which was strictly okay; “A Witch’s Tangled Hare” (1959), which was among the weakest of the series; and in today’s cartoon, “Broom-Stick Bunny,” which is not only the best of the trio but, IMHO, is among the very best of the Bugs Bunny canon.
The cartoon opens with a close-up of a framed certificate from “The Malevolent Order of Witches,” which is affiliated with an AF of Elves. Witch Hazel is preparing a recipe in a huge cauldron on Halloween night while singing a version of “A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich and You” with new lyrics appropriate for a witch’s brew. Her only companion is a bizarre looking black cat and a magic mirror housing a turbaned genie who affirms that Witch Hazel is the ugliest person about. She coyly informs the viewer, “I’m deathly afraid of getting pretty as I get older” – and then pauses to consider the word “pretty,” which causes her to elevate and click her heels in a laughing fit before zooming out of sight with a few hairpins coming loose in her exit.
As luck would have it, it seems that a witch is walking up to her home – but it is really Bugs dressed like a witch for Halloween’s trick-or-treating. He has a witch’s mask over his head, but Witch Hazel mistakes him for the real thing. Witch Hazel consults the magic mirror and the genie in the looking glass rules that Bugs as a witch is uglier than Witch Hazel. Determined to keep her position as the ugliest person, Witch Hazel brings Bugs in and whips up a special tea designed to make ugly people beautiful.
But when Bugs takes off his mask to drink the tea, Witch Hazel is momentarily confused before consulting her recipe – the final ingredient is a rabbit’s clavicle. A wild chase ensues with a cleaver-wielding Witch Hazel chasing Bugs through her home.
This cartoon employs the UPA-style limited animation look for its backgrounds – and while that was something of an annoying distraction in earlier cartoons, the garish weirdness of the artwork perfectly fits the nightmare world of Witch Hazel’s home. And the chase up and down the Escher-worthy staircase is a work of mad genius that ranks among the most inventive segments of Chuck Jones’ career.
Special praise goes to June Foray, the uncredited voice performer who brings Witch Hazel to full-throttle life with her cackling voice and high-pitched hysterical laugh, and to composer Milt Franklyn for perfectly fitting the score to the wild action – especially with the witty sampling of “Oh, You Beautiful Doll.”
“Broom-Stick Bunny” can qualify as the best Tedd Pierce-authored script for a Bugs Bunny cartoon. There isn’t a moment where there isn’t an inventive sight gag or turn-of-phrase. Among the gems are the recipe preparation with Witch Hazel emptying a bottle’s contents into the cauldron before dropping the bottle itself into the mix, Witch Hazel accidentally using her sweeping broom for flight – the magic brush starts cleaning the floor with the bewildered witch hanging on for dear life – and the completely brilliant twist ending that I will prefer not to reveal for the benefit of those who have yet to see this cartoon.
And if you haven’t seen “Broom-Stick Bunny,” or haven’t seen it in ages, here it is again for your viewing pleasure (albeit a bit off-center):